Applicator adjustment mechanism



Nov. 1, 1960 H. L. MORGAN 2,958,271

APPLICATOR ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM Filed July ll, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 2l'P f2 l 262 l l ll 1 696 6 25? 28? 276) f96 Ji l 566 i Nov. l, 1960 H. 1 MORGAN APPLrcAToR ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July l1. 1958 Nov. l, 1960 H. x..v MORGAN 2,958,271

APPLICATOR ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM Filed July ll, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Mig? United States Patent O APPLICATOR ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM Herbert L. Morgan, Palo Alto, Calif., assignor to Hycon Mfg. Company, Pasadena, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 11, 1958, Ser. No. 748,083

9 Claims. (Cl. 95-89) This invention relates generally to rapid film processors and more particularly to a means for adjusting and positioning a processing solution applicator against continuously moving exposed film to produce a high quality image on the film for viewing within a short time interval and very small film travel distance, without leakage of solution.

The usefulness and convenience of immediately viewing a recorded picture is particularly great in reconnaissance systems, especially in an airborne system. Airborne reconnaissance systems are generally quite complex and utilize a variety of components which must all operate correctly and in synchronism. The ultimate required result is, of course, an accurately recorded image usually made on photosensitive film. If the exposed film can be rapidly processed for immediate viewing, it is easily possible to determine if the system is functioning satisfactorily, and that the desired information is being obtained. There are obviously many other uses and benefits in having rapidly processed films in an airborne reconnaissnace system as well as in other similar systems.

It is an object of this invention to provide means capable of accomplishing high quality yet rapid processing of continuously moving film.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a rapid film processor, an applicator assembly which can apply processing solution under turbulent agitation conditions against continuously moving film without loss of fluid therefrom.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for adjusting a processing solution applicator set against film moving about a cylindrical roller surface, to prevent leakage of fiuid between applicator and film.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a rapid film processor having applicator adjustment means which can correctly position the applicator against continuously moving film easily and reliably,

Briefly, the foregoing and other objects are preferably accomplished by providing in a rapid film processor having an applicator which can be placed in direct contact with continuously moving film, adjustment mechanism which provides two degrees of adjustment motion of the applicator relative to the film surface. An evener device additionally exerts a force on the applicator against the moving film through applicator seals which prevent loss of processing solution turbulently applied to the film emulsion by the applicator.

A process in which film is continuously moved about a cylindrical surface roller utilizes an applicator which has peripheral rubber seals that conform with the contour of the roller and enclose a processing area Within which processing solution is circulated. Two adjustment cams are provided which can move an end of the applicator up or down, and can rotate the applicator about an axis parallel to the roller axis, respectively, to position the applicator correctly with the roller surface. A spring loaded evener bar applies equal forces at the ends of the 2,958,271. Patented Nov. 1, 1960 ICC applicator to press the seals against the film around the roller. Leakage of solution is thus prevented as the film is moved past the processing area.

Two spring wire brackets which are attached to fixed structure of a rapid film processor are provided by the ends of the applicator and are used to support the applicator when the evener bar is removed. The spring wires themselves can be positioned against the ends of the applicator during normal operation and function to center the application laterally and restrain applicator sideward movement. The spring wires can also be positioned against, behind or in front of the ends of the applicator to assist in mounting or dismantling the applicator from the rapid film processor. The spring wire brackets are extremely useful auxiliary devices which facilitate handling of the applicator.

The invention possesses other objects and features, some of which together with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention. The invention as described in detail will be more fully understood by reading the description with joint reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure l is a plan view illustrating the general configuration of the applicator assembly positioned against a drive roller;

Figure 2 is a detail view taken along the line 2-2 as indicated in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the applicator assembly adjustment means, taken along the line 3-3 as indicated in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail view taken along the line 4 4 as indicated in Figure 1;

Figures 5 and 6 are detail drawings which illustrate a preferred construction of a holder assembly for the in Figures 1 to 7 inclusive. Thus, the mounting and ad-` justment system can be considered a necessary and integral part of the rapid film processor. The roller 142 is mounted on a shaft 256 which is supported near the ends on bearings in fixed side plates 258 and 260 as shown in Figure l. The applicator assembly 144 is pressed against the roller `142 by means of a holder assembly 262 having end plates adapted to push against the end pins and 164 which are guided and seated in slots cut in the ends` of two applicator support arms 264 and 266. The support arm 264 is adjustable to orient and position one end of the applicator assembly 144 relative to the roller 142,

but the support arm 266 is fixed. The applicator assembly 144 is centered laterally in position (parallel tothe axis of roller 142, for example) by means of two positioning;

spring wires each mounted on extended brackets 268 and 270. The roller 142 is driven by a motor 272 through conventional gearing and coupling.

The applicator adjustment means, the applicator holder assembly and positioning spring wire bracket assemblies are shown in detail by Figures 2 to 6 inclusive, and Figure 7 is an exploded perspective which schematically illustrates the mechanism for positioning the applicator to the roller 142. The adjustment mechanism for adjusting support arm 264 and flanged adjustment arm 162a is.l

detailed in Figures 2 and 3-. Figure 3 is a sectional view of the adjustment mechanism taken along the line 3-3 as indicated in Figure 2. The mechanism is located under a generally rectangular housing 274 having a joggle at the center as shown in Figure 2. The housing 274 is secured to a back plate 276 by three screws 278 and 278:1', and the plate 276 is fastened Yto side plate 258 by screw 280 (Figure 3). The support arm 264 is positioned' generally between the back plate 276 and the housing 274 as indicated in Figure 3. The adjustable support arm 264 is most clearly illustrated in Figure 7 and can be seen to have three holes 282, 284 and 286 in addition to the end slot 288. The hole 282 is elongated and accepts a cam 290 which can be rotated by a screw 292 meshing as a worm with the circular gear 294 carried in housing 274. lThe hole 284 is simply an oversized hole to permit passage and clearance of the screw 27811. The third hole 286 mounts the circular end portion of cam 296 which supports the left end of roller shaft 256 on an internal bushing. A ring gear 298 is secured to the circular end portion of the cam 296 by a set screw 300. A screw 302 meshes with the ring gear 298 and functions as a worm to drive (rotate) the cam 296. The semicircular slot 162b of the flanged adjustment arm 162e cooperates with the cam 296 section between support arm 264 and the side plate 258. The dials 304 and 306 are pressed into recessed areas in gears 294 and 298, respectively, and rotate with them. The dials 304 and 306 have not been hatched in Figure 3 for clarity of illustration. The dials 304 and 306 are marked with equal divisions and reference dots which are aligned with the high sides of their respective cams. the housing 274 and which are shown directly above the reference dots in Figure 2. Thus, operation of the screws 292 and 302 can produce the adjustment movements indicated in Figure 7.

The spring wire brackets 268 and 270 are fastened to fixed structure by screws 308. The wires are shown in Figures 1 and 2 in a holding position, that is, the wires are positioned behind the end pins 160 and 164 and can support the applicator assembly 144 even though the holder assembly 262 is removed. In normal operation, the wires are moved outwards and press against the ends of the pins 160 and 164, and the holding action or force is provided by the holder assembly 262. ln dismantling the applicator, the wires are placed in front of the pins 160 and 164 and the holder assembly 262 disengaged, so that the applicator is forced away from the roller 142. The spring wire brackets both are similar and extend from the fixed end generally in an upraised arm wherein a correspondingly upraised spring wire is secured to the outside of the bracket by an adjustable retainer 310 as shown in Figure 2. The wire passes through the middle of a rectangular slot at the upper end of the bracket. The slot is created by bending the upper end of the bracket outwards across the middle of a rectangular cutout. The result is clearly illustrated in Figure 1.

The arms 264 and 266 have end slots which respectively receive and position the end pins 160 and 164 of the applicator assembly 144. The arm 266 is similar to arm 264 but is not adjustable and therefore does not require the adjustment holes in the arm. When the spring wires are positioned against the ends of the pins 160 and Q64 generally in line with the axis of the pins, the holder assembly 262 is used to provide the proper holding force which presses the applicator assembly 144 against the surface of the roller 142. The holder assembly 262 generally comprises a centrally mounted tube 312 having attached end plates 314 and 316 which are notched at the ends to conform with the cylindrical shape of the pins 160 and 164. The end plate 314 is additionally joggled to avoid arm 264 as can be seen in Figure 1. Holding force is provided at the middle of tube 312 by a spring loaded bracket arm 318 (Figure 2) which is rotatably supported on pin 320. 'Ihe pin 320 is mounted, in turn, to a support The dials indicate against index lines made on bracket 322 which is secured to iixed structure at the lower surface (base) as indicated in Figures 2 and 4. The support bracket 322 includes means for adjusting the holding force directed against the end pins and 164 through the tube 3112.

The mounting and force adjustment mechanism is illustrated in detail by Figures 5 and 6. The bracket arm 318 consists of two side pieces 324 and 326 which are joined together by a rectangular plate 328 soldered to both side pieces 324 and 326. The upper end of bracket arm 318 is connected by short cylindrical tube 330 which is also soldered to both side pieces 324 and 326 as indicated in Figure 6. The short connecting tube 330 has been bored out from both ends toward the center leaving a thin internal ridge 332 which actually supports the long tube 312. The purpose and effect of the thin ridge is to effectively transmit point force to the tube 312, and distributed loading is eliminated and avoided. The lower end of the bracket arm 318 is drilled with a few small holes 334 in a line as can be seen in Figure 5. The bracket arm 31'8 is rotatably mounted between the sides of the U-shaped support bracket 322 on pivot pin 320. The base of the support bracket is fastened to tixed structure and a tension spring 3'36 is hooked to one of the small holes 334 on one end. The other end of the spring 336 is hooked about a ring groove on screw 338 which can be moved up or down in a vertically drilled and tapped (nylon) block 340 having a rectangular central opening 342 to permit movement of the end of spring 336 hooked around the groove on screw 3318. The block 340 holding screw 338 is attached to the support bracket 322 between the sides by four small screws 344. The bracket arm 318 thus functions as a lever transmitting a point force to the long tube 312. Spring tension can be increased by hooking the end of spring 336 to a different hole 334 and the moment arm (distance between spring force and the pivot point) can be varied by threading screw 338 up or down in the tapped block 340.

It is to be understood that the particular embodiment of the invention described above and shown in the attached drawings is merely illustrative of and not restrictive of the broad invention, and that various changes in design, structure and anrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the broader of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a rapid film processor including a roller having a cylindrical surface and an applicator structure having a face adapted to be positioned against the cylindrical surface, applicator mounting and adjustment means, comprising: means for mounting an endV of the applicator structure in a predetermined fixed position accurately in opposing juxtaposition to a corresponding end of the roller; adjustable means having two degrees of freedom for similarly mounting the other end of the applicator structure relative to the other corresponding end of the roller; and means for applying equal forces against the ends of the applicator structure to urge the applicator structure towards the cylindrical surface of the roller.

2. The invention according to claim l wherein said adjustable means is operable to adjust the applicator for angular rotation on its mounting axis and on a parallel axis located intermediate the cylindrical surface of the roller and mounting axis.

3. The invention according to claim l wherein said force applying means includes an evener bar having end arms respectively engaging the ends of the applicator, and means providing an urging force towards the applicator substantially at the center of said evener bar.

4. In a rapid film processor including `a roller having a ycylindrical surface and roller shaft ends rotatably mounted kin fixed structure, and an applicator structure having end mounting pins fand .a face adapted to be positioned against the cylindrical surface, mounting and adjustment means, comprising: a centering arm aiixed on one end to an adjustable end of the applicator structure and having a semicircular slot at the other end of said centering arm; a ixed support arm having an end slot to receive an end mounting pin; Ian adjustable support arm mounted on a rotational point and having an elongated circular slot on one side of the rotation point and an end slot on the other side of the rotation point to receive the other end mounting pin of the applicator structure; means fior applying equal forces against the applicator end mounting pins to retain the pins in their respective support arm end slots; a rst adjustable cam engaging the semicircular slot of said centering arm `for producing angular end movement of said centering arm and the applicator structure on an axis established by the mounting pin at the adjustable end of the applicator structure; and a second adjustable cam engaging the elongated circular slot of said adjustable support arm for producing angular end movement of said adjustable support arm rand the applicator structure on an axis established by said rst adjustable cam engaging the semicircular end slot of said centering arm aixed to the adjustable end of the applicator structure.

5. The invention according to claim 4 wherein said `force applying means includes -an evener rod having end arms respectively engaging the end mounting pins, and means for producing an urging force towards the applicator substantially at the center of said evener rod.

6. The invention according to claim 5 in which said means for producing an urging force includes a pivoted lever mechanism engaging said evener rod, and a spring attached to xed structure on one end and connected to said lever mechanism on the other end to produce a resilient (force on said evener rod.

7. The invention according to claim 6 wherein said pivoted lever mechanism includes a bracket adapted to be attached to the Xed structure, and la lever arm rotatably mounted to said bracket and engaging said evener rod on one end, the other end of said spring being attached to the other end of said lever arm.

8. rPhe invention according to claim 7 including, in addition, means for varying tension and direction of said spring.

9. The invention according to claim 7 wherein the end of said lever arm engaging said evener rod includes a thin circular ridge for transmitting substantially point contact force to said evener rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,349,256 Evans May 23, 1944 2,548,573 Wampole etal. Apr. 10, 1951 2,666,386 `ovishoi et al. Jan. 19, 1954 2,761,791 Russel Sept. 4, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 758,928 Great Britain Oct. 10, 1956 

